


Cyan

by End_Transmission



Series: Blended Family [2]
Category: Among Us (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Behavior, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Panic Attacks, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27027412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/End_Transmission/pseuds/End_Transmission
Summary: Orange's crew - including the Impostor known as Skitch - has successfully settled on the Polus colony. When a new crew arrives, smaller than them and strange, tension grows within the group.It comes to a head with near disastrous results.
Relationships: Black & Cyan (Among Us), Black/Orange (Among Us), Cyan & Orange (Among Us)
Series: Blended Family [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972513
Comments: 20
Kudos: 201





	Cyan

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct continuation to Temper Tantrum - but as the children don't really show in this one, I've decided to make it its own thing.
> 
> Despite vast similarities and names between characters, this entire series sits apart from the Other Half timeline. Situations from either timeline are not canon to the other.
> 
> Content warning for traumatic violence and the shock/panic attack directly related to it.

The new crew was strange. 

Orange understood that thinking about them that way was little different than how he'd first thought of Skitch, but he couldn't help it. He could tell that the rest of his crew felt the same, though, which made him feel vindicated in his unease. 

They weren't bad strange, over all - they just didn't fit in quite the same with the crew already established on Polus. They were a small batch - only five of them to Orange's full ten. They were quiet and kept mostly to themselves - Orange had walked in on Tan, one of the newcomers, in Communications, and the woman had jumped so badly she'd hit her hip on the console. When Orange had tried to apologize, she'd brushed it off and quickly left the room. 

It wasn't the last time he'd caught one of the newcomers being flighty. Blue and Green, both new, were found in the office, literally at each other's throats. When Orange heard one of them scream something about 'Impostor,' he'd walked away, had made a beeline for Skitch and warned the man to be extra careful around their new crewmates. 

Really, the only ones who didn't seem too anxious were their captain - Lime - and their security specialist, Cyan. The two were often found together, and seemed adept at organizing their small crew. They spoke for the group, often keeping company with Red. Orange didn't mind Lime - the woman was stern, but fair, and really Orange wondered if she and Red had been twins in a past life. 

Orange didn't like Cyan, though. The man was too intense - watched too closely. Being near him for long made the hairs on Orange's skin rise. Much more importantly to the human, though,  _ Skitch  _ didn't like Cyan. It wasn't anything overt - but the Impostor clammed up whenever Cyan was around. Skitch watched the man intensely and, whenever Cyan wandered too close to either Skitch or Orange, the black-garbed Impostor would press close to Orange. There'd been one eve when Cyan had wandered into Electrical, where Orange, Skitch, and Skitcher were in a group, and Skitch had gone so tense that there'd been an amber glow beneath his helmet. Orange had stepped in quickly to distract Cyan from the sight, and it seemed to have worked, but it'd left Orange on edge. Skitch was not usually so easily aggravated, especially not now that he had the trust of his own crew. 

It came to a head one early morning. Orange was tucked away in the boiler room, grumbling about the exertion opening the waterways took. 

"Need a hand?" The sudden voice spooked Orange and he let go of the wheel, letting out a curse as it immediately began to spin back to its starting position. He grabbed it, then looked over with a slight glare, which withered immediately when he saw Cyan standing there. 

"Uh, I've got it, but thanks," Orange said, turning the wheel once more, "did you need something, Cyan?" 

"So quick to try and get rid of me?" 

"No," Orange protested, "sorry. I'm just busy, is all. Thought we could cut to the chase but, uh, you're welcome to stick around, if you'd like." From the corner of his eye, Orange saw Cyan nod and then, despite Orange's protests, Cyan went over to the other wheel and began to turn it. 

Orange supposed it'd be nice to be finished quicker. They worked quietly for only a moment or two, before Cyan was speaking again. 

"So, what's with Black?" Cyan asked, and Orange couldn't help but shoot the other man a look. There was that unease, again, prickling up and down Orange's arms and neck. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, I'm just curious, is all," Cyan said, letting go of his wheel to face Orange. "You all seem…fine. A full crew. So, how'd that happen? Did you lock him up until you got here? Did you intimidate him? Threaten him? Or is he just so bad at his job that he really managed not to kill a single one of you?" 

Orange's heart was thudding in his ears as he took a step back - closer, he realized with a jolt, to the wall. He had no time to wonder how Cyan knew about Skitch - the answer was obvious before Orange had even finished the thought. All at once, it made sense - the jumpiness of the new crew, how small they were, the way they avoided making any real connections with anyone else. How they glared at even each other with distrust. They, like Orange's crew, had dealt with an Impostor. 

Unlike Skitch, Cyan was not the peaceful sort. 

"Hey, for what it's worth, It's nothing personal," Cyan said, taking a step towards Orange, "although, I will say, it's hard to feel all that bad over a good meal." There was a ripple along Cyan's gut, and Orange stared as the Impostor  _ split  _ there - teeth and tongue making themselves visible. 

Orange waited until Cyan was a step or two closer, then shoved away from the wall, managing to duck around the Impostor and away. It was just as he was opening his mouth to yell for help when he felt a heavy force smash into him from behind. Claws wrapped around his face, smashing through his visor and piercing at his flesh, effectively smothering his screams. Something heavy had him pinned, and he felt something sliding over his side - a tongue, he knew by experience, although this was not Skitch's shy probing. This was tasting. Ready to devour. Orange felt it slice into his skin. 

Orange tried to scream again, knowing it would be the last sound he ever made. It was drowned out, though, by a sudden explosion of animalistic snarling. As suddenly as it'd struck him, Cyan's weight was gone. Given a chance, not even thinking to look back, Orange crawled quickly away. Trembling, shaking hands found a wall and he curled against it on instinct, tightening into as small of a ball as he could manage, wrapping his head beneath his arms. 

He trembled there, unable to even think, knowing only the distant sound of snarling. He didn't even register when it stopped, didn't hear the footfalls approaching him, didn't understand anything until suddenly there were hands on him. With a cry, he tried to rip himself away from the grab. He barely managed to move at all before arms were wrapped tightly around him, holding him in place. Orange tried desperately to push them away. 

At least until a pattern of repetitive clicking noises caught his attention. 

It wasn't unlike how someone might click at a cat to attract their attention and, similarly, Orange felt the noises slowly ease away his panic. He panted, trembled, and clung to the arms holding him, finally noticing then that they were shimmering and as black as night. 

"Skitch," He tried to say, the name catching in his throat. He turned and grasped out until, finally, he found Skitch's neck. Orange wrapped his arms tightly around it, clung to the Impostor - and promptly burst into tears. Skitch tightened his hold on the human in response. 

Sometime later, Orange felt Skitch shifting, and desperately grabbed at the other, trying to keep them together. Skitch was insistent, though, finally pushing Orange away only enough for the human to be in eyesight. Skitch carefully pried Orange's helmet away, then laid his hands on either side of Orange's face, the hand nearest the marks Cyan had left touching only gently. He pulled them away to speak. 

"Did he hurt you badly? Are you wounded?" Skitch asked, and it almost drove Orange to tears again, thankful that the Impostor hadn't bothered to ask if he was  _ okay.  _ Hands still shaking, Orange reached down to touch his side, bracing himself before following with his sight. 

He couldn't properly see the wound through the suit and blood, but he didn't think it was deep enough to kill him. Noticing it, though, made it ache, and he winced when Skitch probed at it too. The Impostor moved his hands away quickly, and Orange followed them with his eyes. 

"Let's get you to the Medbay," Skitch said, starting to stand, carefully tugging Orange up with him. For his part, the human clutched at Skitch, his legs still jelly beneath him. 

"Holy shit! Cyan?!" At the voice, Skitch spun in place and tucked Orange protectively behind him. 

"Black! Are you two alright?!" Recognizing a more familiar voice, Orange peered around the Impostor. Standing at the mouth of the boiler room was Red - Lime right next to him. Lime was staring at something to their side - whatever was left of Cyan, Orange assumed, although he didn't look to verify himself. Red, though, was walking towards Skitch and Orange. 

It said a lot, Orange thought a little deliriously, that Skitch didn't so much as hiss at Red as the captain approached. How far they'd come from that day in the Skeld's Medbay, when Orange thought he'd witness a massacre. 

"What happened?" Red asked, his voice a little softer. Orange felt Skitch moving and assumed the Impostor was filling their captain in on the story. While Skitch talked, Orange pressed his forehead to the Impostor's shoulder and gripped at his waist. He clung a little tighter as a fresh wave of horror swept through him. Unbidden, he was thinking again of Cyan crushing him to the ground, of the sharp-tipped tongue and teeth no doubt centimeters away from tearing into him - 

"Of course, go," Orange heard Red say, although the man's voice seemed distant, "We'll take care of things here." Then, Orange was being lifted. In a fresh swell of confusion, he clutched desperately at the form holding him, managing to remember that it was  _ Skitch. It's Skitch. It's okay, because Skitch has you and he won't let you get hurt.  _

Things blurred, then, and Orange felt himself caught in a maelstrom of alternating fear and numbness. He couldn't concentrate, even in those rare seconds where he knew he should try, and could barely hold on to the reality of his situation. It was movement and movement and the cool touch of Skitch's body shifting and Orange grabbing onto it desperately out of fear it'd leave him entirely. 

"C'mon Orange, just a drink," someone was saying, and there was something in his hands and something - a straw, he realized - at his mouth. Instinctively he latched onto it, took a drink as commanded - it was ice cold. So cold it sent a shock through his system, and suddenly he was blinking and he was in the Medbay. He was sitting on the edge of a cot, Skitch pressed tightly against his side, and Pink was there, coaxing him to take another sip. So he did, and with that ice came a little more clarity. His helmet was gone. Skitch's suit had been abandoned entirely. Pink was smiling at him and nodding, like he'd done something right. 

"Keep drinking, okay? As much as you can stomach. The water is good for you, and the cold will help you ground yourself," Pink told him, walking away briefly only to pull a cart of supplies over. "We'll have to keep an eye on your face, but you should heal okay as long as nothing festers. Your side is going to need stitches, though. Skitch is going to help you out of your suit, okay? So I can get to the wound better." 

"Okay," Orange agreed, his voice too quiet even to his own ears. At Skitch's prompting, Orange stood and allowed the Impostor to help him from his suit. As Pink worked to stitch together the skin of his side, Orange clutched to Skitch's hand and did his best to keep his shivering to a minimum, hoping it wouldn't make Pink's job too hard. The repair seemed to simultaneously last forever, and yet was over before Orange knew it. Then, Skitch and Pink worked together to all but bundle Orange up in a thick swath of warm blankets, even against his weak protests. Things were catching up to him quickly, and all at once Orange felt mortified at the way his crewmates were babying him. 

"Hush," Pink told him in a mutter, even as Skitch grabbed him to stop his sudden attempt at shaking the blankets off, "Orange, you're in shock. It's important that you stay warm." They were quiet for a second before continuing. "I'll leave you with Skitch, I should go see what's happening with the crew anyway. Orange?" They waited until Orange looked up at them, part of the blankets obscuring his view. "Let him take care of you, okay?" Orange nodded, and tried to ignore the way Pink and Skitch exchanged a glance before the other human left. 

Orange burrowed further into his blankets as the room fell to silence interrupted only by the soft beeping of various Medbay machines. As if someone had flipped a switch, his thoughts jumped from his own embarrassment back to the events of the night. Fear clogged at his throat, and he heard himself give a small whine as warmth flooded his eyes. 

Soft clicking again, and then claws on his face, in his hair, trailing ever so softly over his skin. Successfully pulled from his quickly spiraling thoughts, Orange looked at Skitch, finding himself immediately caught up in the Impostor's amber eyes. Skitch continued his ministrations, softly clicking his tongue all the while. Orange felt his tension soothing, even if only a little, but to his dismay the tears in his eyes only built, until he was crying again. 

"What's wrong with me?" He asked, "why can't I stop…this? Why do I keep -" He broke off as another sob caught at his throat, the feeling of being pinned flooding his senses again. Skitch softly brushed a claw under Orange's eye, then pulled his hands back to speak. 

"You were almost killed," Skitch told him, "no one brushes so close to death and walks away unscathed. This is normal, Orange, don't be so hard on yourself. Let it come." 

It was as if Orange had been waiting for someone to give him that permission. He began to sob, bursting into tears as if there'd been a dam holding them back. He felt Skitch grab him and pull him close, holding him tightly and tucking his head beneath Skitch's chin. Orange pressed his face into the Impostor's cool skin and, as told, let himself cry. All the while Skitch held him and stroked his head with a claw - even long after Orange had sobbed himself into a fitful sleep. 


End file.
